A tire mounting apparatus is constructed from a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism that are separate from each other. The first working mechanism is provided with a tire holding device for holding a tire and with a temporary tightening device for temporarily tightening nuts onto hub bolts to which the tire is mounted. The second working mechanism is provided with a final tightening device means for finally tightening the temporarily tightened nuts. The final tightening device includes two nut runners and an interval adjuster for adjusting an interval between the two nut runners.

A method for loading fuel pellets for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod is provided. The method includes arranging fuel pellets in a row on a tray, aligning the fuel pellets in the row on the tray such that the fuel pellets are closely in contact with one another, obtaining a total length of the pellets in the row by measuring the fuel pellets in the row on the tray, and comparing the total length with a predetermined length. When the total length is smaller than the predetermined length by a difference greater than an average unit length of the pellet, one or more fuel pellets are added in the row until to increase the total length until the difference becomes smaller than the average unit length of the fuel pellet.

An apparatus and method of automatically and safely removing a needle from a syringe assembly while retaining a syringe hub as part of the syringe assembly is generally described. A needle containment device is provided, which may include a needle handling apparatus and a shutter mechanism assembly. The needle handling apparatus is configured for receiving at least a portion of a syringe assembly including at least a needle and a syringe hub, wherein a first clamping mechanism is configured to clamp the syringe hub and a second clamping mechanism is configured to clamp the needle, and the needle is safely and automatically removed from the syringe hub.

A crimping system for crimping fittings on hoses is disclosed and includes an interface and a crimper machine. The crimper machine is configured to analyze collected information based on identified hose and fitting properties; perform a crimping operation based on the collected information and the identified hose and fitting properties; measure crimping characteristics for the crimping operation; generate an alert based on the measured crimping characteristics and the collected information; and provide the alert to the interface.

The present application discloses methods and apparatus for installing fitting components, such as a conduit gripping device, on a conduit to form an assembly. The assembly is joinable with at least one other fitting component to form a fitting. The present application also discloses methods and apparatus for evaluating characteristics of components of a mechanically attached connection. Characteristics that may be evaluated include, but are not limited to, the position of a conduit gripping device on a conduit, an amount of axial compression or stroke of the conduit gripping device, an amount of clamping force applied to the conduit gripping device as the conduit gripping device is compressed, and an amount of torque applied to members that compresses the conduit gripping device.

A security system installation kit carries a coded designation of the characteristics of the components of the kit. An installer can use a wireless telephone, which is executing a scanning application, to sense or read the coded designation. The telephone can transmit the component parameters to an installation server. The server can transmit installation instructions back to the telephone. Those instructions can be visually or audibly presented to the installer facilitating the process. The installer, via the telephone and the server, can test the installed components for proper operation.

A tire mounting method for automatically mounting tires onto hub bolts of a motor vehicle using a tire mounting device having a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism. The method includes feeding the motor vehicle intermittently so that hub bolts of a front wheel and hub bolts of a rear wheel are successively positioned in a tire mounting station. Tires are gripped by a tire gripping unit of the first working mechanism, and nuts are successively temporarily tightened onto hub bolts of front and rear wheels to which the tires are mounted. The nuts, which have been temporarily tightened, are then fully tightened using the second working mechanism.

The invention relates to a device (D2) employed in a system for facilitating the assembly of a product, said assembly being carried out by following one or more assembly sequences, an assembly sequence comprising several successive assembly steps graded by execution ranks, said device comprising: a presence sensor (C2), at least one signalling member (V2), a sequencer (SQ2) connected to the presence sensor (C2) and to the signalling member (V2), said sequencer comprising a microcontroller designed to manage said assembly sequence. The invention also relates to a system for facilitating the assembly of a product comprising several devices (D2) connected together via a communication line.

Methods and apparatus for evaluating characteristics of components of a mechanically attached connection are disclosed. Characteristics that may be evaluated include, but are not limited to, the position of a conduit gripping device on a conduit, an amount of axial compression or stroke of the conduit gripping device, and an amount of clamping force applied to the conduit gripping device as the conduit gripping device is axially compressed or stroked.

The present application discloses methods and apparatus for installing fitting components, such as a conduit gripping device, on a conduit to form an assembly. The assembly is joinable with at least one other fitting component to form a fitting. The present application also discloses methods and apparatus for evaluating characteristics of components of a mechanically attached connection. Characteristics that may be evaluated include, but are not limited to, the position of a conduit gripping device on a conduit, an amount of axial compression or stroke of the conduit gripping device, an amount of clamping force applied to the conduit gripping device as the conduit gripping device is compressed, and an amount of torque applied to members that compresses the conduit gripping device.